Saint Sergiy Radonezhsky church in the village Mogutovo

The Sergiy Radonezhsky church in the village Mogutovo in the Naro-Fominsk area in the Mosow region was built by the boyarPeter Lopuhin in 1693, according to some information even earlier. The architecture of the church is late Moscow baroque, it is decorated with pillars, various ornaments around the windows made of white stone, with all sorts of architectonic refinements. Several years later a bell tower was added to the church. The walls of the church are very thick, the middle part is fairly bright and high, the dining part and the altar have vaulted ceilings. There are 2 altars/communion tables in the church, one in honour of saint Sergiy Radonezhsky and the second, which is located in the dining part in honour of the holy martyr Viktor. Next to the church a picturesque pond is located, dug by the same courtier P.A. Lopuhin. After the revolution the church was closed, and at the end of the thirties of the 20th century it stood empty, it was never used for any economic needs. In the seventies the bell tower was dismantled by the local collective farm for the construction of piggeries. But as eyewitnesses testify the construction of farms out of the bricks of the church was not concluded. The south part of the altar was also destroyed in the seventies. In the dining part the vaulted ceilings were removed, completely destroying the roofing, this was done to all outward appearances by the residents of the datsja’s, which are situated in the immediate proximity of the church. A small cemetery bordering on the north side to the church is somewhat neglected, it will be brought in order. The Divine Services in the Sergiy Radonezhsky Church have been resumed from the summer of 2001. In the beginning there only were officiated prayers for the consecration of water and funeral services, but from 8 October onwards (the day in memory of saint Sergiy Radonezhsky) regularly Divine Liturgies began to be performed. Now the Divine service takes place according to the full church ritus, by regulations all night vigils, on Sundays and holidays the Divine Service are performed, prayers for the consecration of water and funeral services are officiated, and all church sacraments and rituals are performed. There are no locale residents in the proximity, but there are datsja’s on which people live from spring through autumn. In 2001 a hard surfaced road was built almost as far as the church, the approach to it became very comfortable. Our church appears to be an architectonic monument of Federal significance, these sort of churches remained very few therefore you should use the opportunity to see by architecture a fairly scarce church.

Report on the inspection of the technical condition of the Monument

We the below mentioned, representative of the Naro-Fominsk eparchial department of the Moscow patriarchy of the Naro-Fominsk area O. Georgiy Ashkov and the representative of the State association of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation the head architect of the project Jakubeni V.I. drew up the present report, as the survey of the architectonic Monument Sergiy Radonezhsky church of the year 1693 was carried out by us, with the aim of determining its technical condition.

1. Fundamental information on the Monument

The Sergiy Radonezhsky church was built from bricks in 1693 by the means of landowner courtier P.A. Lopuhin. The church is built in the style of Moscow baroque and has a length wise axis composition, the central part which is a two-coloured “tsjetverik” is crowned with two “vosmerik” decreasing to the top and “drum” with domes. The facades are richly decorated with characteristic to that style decorated window-frames and columns on the corners of all volumes. The later built bell tower is dismantled. A corner of the altar apse, the vault of the dining room and the roof is loosened above the building, the church is neglected and is not used.

2. Characteristics and technical condition of the exterior

2.1 Structure and condition of the foundation

A special inspection was not carried out. To judge by the absence of sedimentary cracks, the condition of the foundations is satisfactorily.

2.2 Structure and condition of the socle

The socle is made of white stone and almost completely dismantled except for a small fragment on the northern facade.

2.3. Structure and condition of the supporting walls

The walls are made of brick and not plastered. The low part of the wall near the socle is taken away and requires reconstruction and repair. The cornice of the altar is loosened and also its south eastern corner.

2.4. Domes, crosses

The dome is a complex shape with in relief decoration pieces on the surface. In the base of the dome are two hollow “vosmerik” decreasing to the top, the lower decorate the columns on the corners. The cross is original. The dome is leaning, it requires repairs and straightening.

2.5. Structure of the roof and roofing

On the ”tsjetverik” and the upper “vosmerik” the wooden roofing has been preserved without covering. The roofs are dilapidated and require a complete reconstruction.

2.6. Structure and condition of the exterior porch and staircases

The porch and staircases were not preserved

2.7. Exterior decoration

The decoration of the church is very rich. All corners of the building are marked with columns with white stone capitals. The decorated windowsills are decorated with columns and figures of complex shapes. All the cornices made out of bricks in relief require a large amount of spending on repairs.

3. Characteristics and technical condition of the interior

The general condition is not satisfactory. The vault of the dining room and the altar is partly loose. The floors are absent.

3.1 General condition of the planning of the interior

 After the building of the bell tower, above the dining room a chorus was built, with the construction of a big opening in the west wall of the “ tsjetverik” with a lintel.

3.2 Structure and condition of the internal partitions, pillars and colums

Pillars, columns and partitions are absent

3.3. Ceilings, vaults

The “vosmerik” of the church is recovered with a octahedral vault, the altar is semi-chute, the dining room is semi-chute with a monastic vault, which is almost completely loosened and requires restoration.

3.4. Metallic connections

They are preserved in the base of the vault of the “vosmerik”. The other connections are stationed in the thickness of the walls.

3.5. Structure and condition of the staircases

The staircases were not preserved.

3.6. Characteristics and technical condition of the floors

The floors were not preserved

3.7. The conditions of the window, doors, window-sills, hardware

The later window filling is only preserved in the windows of the second light of the “tsjetverik” and in the “vosmerik”. The door fillings were not preserved.

3.8. Bars

Original indigo bars stood in the windows of the first and second storeys. They are partly loose in the windows of the dining room and altar.

3.9. Character of the interior decorations of the building

The building of the church is plastered. The plaster is part loosened.

3.10. Paintings

The remains of late paintings of the beginning of the 20th century in the “tsjetverik” and “vosmerik” were preserved.

3.11. Iconostas and objects of applied arts

They were not preserved

4. Existence of systems and condition of the technical installation

It was not preserved

5. Character of modern environment of the monument and its utilisation.

The territory around the church isn’t occupied by anything, except the cemetery, which is in part loosened. The church is not used for anything.